Distributed computing system architecture

Abstract

A computing system architecture is based upon a peer-to-peer, asynchronous model. The architecture specifies a set of infrastructure facilities that comprise an inter-prise operating system. The inter-prise operating system provides all the facilities that make application coding as easy in the peer-to-peer asynchronous model as it is in a hierarchical, synchronous model. Services, which reside in containers, are linked asynchronously by an inter-prise bus and use data from a virtual data store.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computing system, comprising:
 a bus including:
 a channel manager component that provides for at least three types of channels for communication between a plurality of service requestors and a plurality of service providers, wherein the channel manager component is adapted to create a channel in response to receipt of an open channel message, and the at least three types of channels include a service channel for communication of a request for a service, an event channel for communication of events raised or handled by the service, and a stream channel for communication of data read or written by the service; and 
 a service discovery component that identifies a plurality of interfaces corresponding to the plurality of service providers; 
 
 a service requestor container coupled to the bus, the service requestor container containing a service requestor application; and 
 a service provider container coupled to the bus, the service provider container containing a service provider application. 
 
     
     
       2. The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the channel manager component is adapted to create a service channel in response to receipt of an open channel message from the service provider container for the service provider application, and to return a handle to the service provider container, the handle being a logical name of the service channel created. 
     
     
       3. The computing system of  claim 2 , wherein the service provider container is adapted to send the handle to the service discovery component to advertise the service provider application. 
     
     
       4. The computing system of  claim 3 , wherein the service discovery component is adapted to send the handle to the service requestor container in response to receipt of a find service message from the service requestor container. 
     
     
       5. The computing system of  claim 4 , wherein the service requestor container is adapted to invoke the service provider application for the service requestor application by sending a request to the service provider container. 
     
     
       6. The computing system of  claim 5 , wherein the service requestor application is a subscriber application, and the service provider application is a publisher application. 
     
     
       7. The computing system of  claim 6 , wherein the channel manager component is adapted to create an event channel in response to receipt of an open event channel message from the service provider container for the publisher application, and to return a handle to the service provider container, the handle being a logical name of the event channel created. 
     
     
       8. The computing system of  claim 7 , wherein the service provider container is adapted to send the handle to the service discovery component to advertise the publisher application. 
     
     
       9. The computing system of  claim 8 , wherein the service discovery component is adapted to send the handle to the service requestor container in response to receipt of a find channel message from the service requestor container. 
     
     
       10. The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the service requestor container is adapted to send a subscriber open event channel message to the channel manager component to subscribe the subscriber application to the event channel created. 
     
     
       11. The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system further includes a source and a sink coupled to the bus. 
     
     
       12. The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein the stream channel is a mapped stream channel, and the channel manager component is adapted to open a tank to store data written by the source in response to receipt of an open channel message from the source. 
     
     
       13. The computing system of  claim 12 , wherein the channel manager component is adapted to read the data stored in the tank in response to receipt of an open channel message from the sink. 
     
     
       14. The computing system of  claim 13 , wherein the stream channel is an unmapped stream channel, and channel manager component is adapted to create a stream channel in response to receipt of an open channel message from the source, and to return a handle to the source, the handle being a logical name of the stream channel created. 
     
     
       15. The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the source is adapted to send the handle to the sink to enable the sink to open the stream channel created. 
     
     
       16. The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein when the service goes out of service, the service provider container is adapted to send a de-advertise message to the service discovery component and a close channel message to the channel manager component. 
     
     
       17. The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the bus is adapted to transmit messages that include system-defined contexts, the system-defined contexts including security contexts, audit contexts , and monitoring contexts.